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quence of this would be fear of punishment. This fear muft be in finite and boundless, as the power of God is conceived to be unlimited, and the nature and duration of the punishment would be abfolutely unknown. A confideration highly disfavoárable to all-endeavours to break off their finful habits, and attain to the contrary habits of

virtue.

However, if we could fuppofe men by fuch a fear of punishment perfuaded to repentance, i. e. to ceafe from acting contrary to the fit nefs of things, and to conform themfelves for the future to it; their former violation of this unalterable law of reafon would remain, and can't in frit fpeaking be undone by any better behaviour afterwards; and of confequence their fears of punishment must remain.

If we fuppofe that men's natural notions of the divine goodness, and the forbearance that God exercifes in the courfe of his providence, would lead them to think it probable that repentance would fecure them from the dreaded punishment; fuch probability would in the nature of things be mixed with the greateft uncertainty, efpecially becaufe upon confideration, men, in the circumftances we now place them, would find, after all, their deviations from the law of reafon many, and their virtue imperfect; and therefore there would fill be uneafy fufpicions whether it be confiftent with the wifdom of the fupreme governour, entirely to remit the punishment due to fuch repeated offences.

If we fuppofe that men might reafon themfelves into this firm perfuafion and hope, that a return to a fincere, tho' imperfect virtue, would fecure them from the deferved evil; yet this will not lay a folid foundation to expect that happiness, and those marks of the divine fayour, which might have been hoped for, if there had been no devi ations from the rule of right and fit. Here the light of nature is at an entire lofs, and can never give men the neceffary affurances in this important article.

If it should appear inconfiftent with the perfections of deity not to make a distinction between those who return to virtue, and those who obftinately continue to act contrary to the fitnefs of things; yet the degree and manner of doing it, will ftill remain doubtful and uncertain, this being wholly dependant on the unknown pleasure and wif dom of God. And of confequence the light of nature cannot determine, whether an imperfect virtue may not have fuitable degrees of punishment in another State; or if the probability should preponderate on the other fide, that God would reward a fincere, tho' imperfect vittue, reafon could never assure us, of what nature that reward should be, nor how long its continuance.

As every man finds himself liable to death, a refurrection could fcarcely be made appear by the light of nature probable, much less a refurrection accompanied with fuch favourable alterations as the chriftian religion difcovers. In a word, if the light of nature could affure me of a future ftate, it could never make me certain that it should be a ftate of rewards, fince the virtue of this life is fo very imperfect, that the other life might prove a new state of farther trial.

But if it could go fo far as to render it probable, that it fhould be a

flate

state of recompence; yet wherein the rewards of it confift, and how long their continuance and duration fhall be, it is fo little capable of giving any diftinct account of, that the greatest and wifeft of men, who had no other guide but this, appear to have lived and died in the greatest uncertainties about them; a fuli proof that the light of nature is not fufficient to inftruct us in thefe important articles, with any clearnefs and certainty: the confequence of which is, that men would want the proper arguments and motives to become virtuous with fteadines and conftancy, against all the difficulties and temptations of a general and univerfal degeneracy.

III. Since therefore the natural reafon of my mind appears thus greatly defective, and infufficient, I have confidered the other method of difcovering the will of God, and the principles and duties of religion, viz. immediate revelation from God himfelf; and as this involves no contradiction in the nature of the thing, it must be poffible to him, to whom belongs fupreme and unlimited power. Shall not be that made the eye fee? He that gave us all our converfable powers, fhall he not be able to converse with us himself? Shall not the father of fpirits, who is intimately prefent to every being, have an accefs to his own offspring, fo as to affure the mind, that it is he himself, by fuch evidence, as shall make it unreasonable to deny, or impoffible to doubt it? If men can make themselves known, and discover their fecret thoughts to each other, furely God can make himfelf known to men; elfe we muft fuppofe his power more bounded than theirs, and that he wants a real perfection which they are poffeffed of.

And as this is poffible, my reafon farther tells me, 'tis highly defireable, the better to inftruct me what God is, and what I am my felf; what I must do, and what I fhall be; to fave men the labour of a flow and tedious compafs of obfervation, experience, and argument, which every one is not fit for, and which those who are, would be glad to be affifted in; to free me from the uncertainties and fears of my mind, that arife from the conscioufnefs of guilt, the fenfe of my being accountable, and the apprehenfions I have of a future ftate; to regulate my conduct, and guide me with fafety in the midft of prevailing ignorance and darkness, the mistakes and corruptions of mankind, the fnares of bad examples, and the numerous temptations to folly and vice; to establish my hopes, by fixing the rule of worship, fettling the conditions of pardon, affuring me of neceffary affiftance, and promifing. fuch rewards as are proper to fupport me under all the difficulties of my prefent duty. Thefe things the world by wisdom knew not; they were vain and mistaken in their imagination, and their foolish heart was darkened.

And as fuch a revelation is both poffible and defireable, the probability that there hath been one, may be fairly argued from the univerfal ignorance and corruption that hath overfpread the world, the characters of God as Father and Governour of mankind, the acknowledged goodness and equity of his nature, the fudden and aftonishing reformation that hath once been in the world, the numerous pretences that have been made to revelation in all ages and nations, which feem to argue the general content of mankind, as to the expediency and reality

of

of it, and its neceffity to give Religion its proper certainty, authority, and force.

If then there be any religion in the world that fairly makes out its title to be a revelation from God, by fuch internal characters belonging to it, and fuch external proofs attending it, which are fit and proper in themselves to convince a reasonable and impartial enquirer, and may be justly expected in a matter of fuch importance; I am bound to acknowledge and fubmit to fuch a Religion, and to receive it under the honourable character of a divine revelation. And as the Christian Religion makes its pretenfions to fuch a character. and authority, I have endeavoured fairly to examine the proofs and evidence that attend it, as they are contain'd in those books which are known by the name of the New Teftament, to which chriftians appeal, as 'to the infallible rule of their faith and practice, and the fole judge of all controversies in their religion. And upon the most unprejudiced enquiry, I find,

IV. That there is the highest reafon to believe, that thefe books are authentick and genuine, there being the fame, or rather greater proofs, of their being written by the perfons whofe names they bear, and to whom they are afcribed, than any other ancient books have, tho' of the cleareft credit, and moft unquestionable authority. This is fupported by the testimony of many writers, who either were the contemporaries of the authors of the books of the New Testament, or lived immediately after them; who frequently quote and refer to them, both amongst chriftians themselves, who tranfcribe many parts of them in their works, and amongst the Jews and Heathens, who exprefly mention them as the authors of the books afcribed to them, tho' they had the greatest averfion to the chriftian religion, their intereft obliged them to difprove it, and they had all the opportunity and power in their hands to do it. So that here there is an univerfal agreement, without any contrary claim, or pretenfion to other authors.

That the accounts they have given us in thefe writings are genuine and true, I argue from the characters and circumftances of the writers themfelves. They were perfons of undoubted integrity, as appears by the innocence of their lives, their folemn appeals to God, the ftrict obligations they were under to truth by the principles of their own religion, their inculcating truth and fincerity upon others by the nobleft motives, their having no worldly intereft to byafs them, and their chearfully fealing the teftimony they gave by their blood.

They had the moft certain knowledge of the things of which they wrote, which were either doctrines that they received immediately from Chrift himself, or the infpiration of his Spirit; or facts, done in their own times, and of which they were either eye-witneffes, or principal. agents, and which have been preferved by public memorials and folemn rites, that have obtained in all ages of the Chriftian Church.

Their education, capacities, and circumstances of life, render'd it impoffible for them to invent fo rational, confiftent and grand a scheme as the chriftian religion contains; they wrote at divers times and places, upon different occafions, fudden emergencies, and important con troverfies, which prevented any reafonable fufpicions of combination or united fraud.

The feveral accounts they give of the people, and affairs of the time in which, according to their own relation, the things they report, happened, entirely agree with other writers of undoubted authority, which is a very strong prefumption of their being authentick and agreeable to

truth.

That these writings are ftill the fame, without any material alterations, is evident from the great value and credit they have been always in amongst Chriftians, who ever efteemed them as the rule of their faith and life, and the ground of their comfort and hope; from their being publickly read in the chriftian churches, as a part of their folemn worship; their being early tranflated from authentick copies, which long continued in the Chriftian Church, into most of the known languages of the world, and the harmony and agreement of fuch tranflations; from the quotations made from them, ftill remaining in antient writers; from the conftant appeals made to them by the various fects, that appeared amongst chriftians, in all matters controverted by them; for which reafon they could not be corrupted in any material points, either by common confent, or by any particular parties amongst themselves. So that they have no marks of fraud and impofture upon them, but are attended with every character of their being genuine and pure; and have been handed down in the main without any adulteration or mixture, thro' many fucceffions of ages, notwithstanding the violence of perfecution, the strict fearch and enquiry into them, the errors and corruptions that have been introduced into the church, the intereft of crafty, fuperftitious, and defigning men to add or to take from them, and the endeavours of tyrants utterly to deftroy them, by their own intrinfick excellency and evidence, and the fpecial protection and care of providence.

Upon these confiderations, I am abundantly convinced, that the books of the New Teftament have all the evidence which any ancient writings have or can have, of their being authentick and genuine; and that therefore 'tis unreasonable to call this matter into question, when so many other writings are univerfally owned upon much lefs evidence ; no man of common fenfe pretending to doubt of the genuineness and truth of them. And therefore, whatfoever account thefe writings give of the nature of the Chriftian Religion, I am bound to receive as the true account, and to examine its authority by thofe facts, which they relate as the proper evidence and proof of it. Now as I fhould naturally expect to find in a revelation that is really from God, fuitable and worthy accounts of his perfections and attributes; fo

V. I farther find to my great fatisfaction, that the things fspoken of God in the chriftian revelation, are fuitable to thofe notions of him, which I can prove the truth of by the reafon of my own mind, and which have been entertained by the wifeft and beft of men in all ages and nations of the world. The light of nature can firmly demonftrate, and the most thoughtful and learned heathens have agreed in, the neceffity of God's exiftence, the abfolute perfection of his nature, his immenfity and abfolute unchangeableness; his comprehenfive knowledge, his infinite wifdom, and his almighty power; the reclitude of his nature, his boundlefs and extenfive good uefs, and his impartial equity

and

and justice; his being the creator of the world; his being the fupreme Lord and governor of univerfal nature, and the father and friend of mankind; his being a lover of virtue, and determined finally to accept and reward it.

Now the records of the christian revelation are fo far from containing any thing contrary to thefe apprehenfions, that they confirm, enlarge and enforce them. They fpeak of his necessary existence in a no ble and comprehenfive way. They defcribe him as filling all things, and as without the least variableness or shadow of turning. As the King immartal, invifible, and eternal. As having life in himself. As the fearcher of the heart, and knowing all things. As God only, i. e. fu premely, infinitely wife. As irrefiftible in power. As abfolutely holy. As rich in goodnefs. As juft in his procedure. As the creator of the worlds visible and invifible. As upholding all things by the word of his power. As the obferver of men's actions, a lover of their virtue, and ready to affist them in it and reward it. It gives the nobleft reprefentations of his claims of worship and obedience from all his reasonable creatures, of his peculiar love. to mankind, and his efpecial favour to all the virtuous and good. It defcribes him to our minds as feated on his throne of grace, as fending a perfon of the highest chaFacter, to lead men by his example and inftructions to knowledge and piety, to peace of confcience and eternal happiness. As difpending by him pardon to the penitent, comfort to the afflicted, hope to the miferable, and life to finners under the condemnation of fin and death. As having appointed a day for univerfal judgment, as judging all in righteoufness according to their deeds, and the advantages they enjoy, as the final punisher of the impenitently wicked, and as the everlasting portion and reward of all, who by a patient continuance in well doing, fuck after glory, bonour and immortality. These representations of God my mind and reafon highly approve of, and when I read them in the christian records, they awaken my admiration, fill my foul with the warmeft love, and excite within me a becoming reverence and godly fear.

VI. As the Chriftian Religion gives the nobleft reprefentations of the attributes of God, I farther find that it requires the most rational and excellent worship of him, the worshippers whom the Father declares he now feeks, being fuch only as worship him in spirit and truth. The rule of the gospel extends only to decency and order, but contains no directions about external pomp and pageantry. The method of wor fhip it prefcribes is not fo much by pofitive rites and ceremonies, that have no intrinfick worth and excellency in them; as by a steady belief and worthy apprehenfions of his perfections and providence, by fervent love, by reverence and godly fear, by hope in his mercy, by fubmiffion to his will, by the facrifice of a broken and contrite heart, by grati tude, adoration, and praife, and by fervent humble fupplication and prayer. In a word, by the exercife of all holy difpofitions, by purity of foul, and a conftant careful imitation of God in all the virtues of an holy life.

I find all the writings of the New Teftament abound with precepts of this kind; and as to fuch pofitive inftitutions as are enjoined by it, they

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